Hair spray is a styling and beautifying aid used by 65% of women over the age of thirteen. Around 70% of these women use hair spray daily. Consumers require hair sprays to perform in holding their hairstyle and also to contribute to beautifying the appearance of their hair. People who perm and color their hair are also concerned that the hair spray will not dull the color of their hair or weigh down their curls. Further, these hairspray compositions must meet a number of functional requirements. These include good holding ability and curl retention without giving a harsh, brittle feeling to the hair. Even under humid conditions there must be good hold and curl retention. Additionally, the compositions must include the properties of low stickiness and a lack of powdering or flaking. Most of these hair spray compositions contain homo or copolymers as the active ingredients in addition to a carrier. The homopolymers and non-homopolymers are prepared from variety of monomers for example, vinyls, acrylics, acrylamides, unsaturated mono/di carboxylic acids and/or acid anhydrides. Depending upon selection of monomers, the resulting polymers can be anionic, cationic, pseudo-anionic, pseudo-cationic, and amphoteric in nature.
Many people desire a high level of style retention, or hold, from a hair spray composition. In typical hair sprays, performance attributes and product aesthetics are often answered by large molecules with high molecular weight charged polymers or resins having molecular weight of about 125,000 atomic mass units (amu) or more. The attributes of these large molecules can easily be achieved by easily incorporating them into various products and applications wherein the actuation is not required or involved for example gels, creams and mousses etc.
Unfortunately, the delivery of such high molecular weight polymers or resins, such as those having a weight average molecular weight of greater than about 125,000 amu in aerosol and pump spray formulations has been difficult even under pressure to deliver a uniform spray. In fact, they tend to have spray patterns characterized by wet drippy centers or to have spray characterized by streaming rather than a fine misting of hair spray particles. The difficulties in spraying high molecular weight polymers includes practical concerns, including clogging, poor product aesthetics, for example foam quality, cushion/feel, distribution etc. and poor performance attributes such as thermal protection, durability, conditioning, water resistivity etc. Further, most of the hair sprays have been usually formed with high percentage of monohydric alcohol solvents, such as lower alcohols and low amounts of water that results in formulation having poor quality of sprayability. Further, consumers are also conscious of environmental issues and expect their products to comply with regulations without sacrificing performance.
U.S. patent application 2007/0141013 discloses ampholytic copolymers which contain a molar excess of anionogenic and/or anionic groups, polyelectrolyte complexes which contain such an ampholytic copolymer, cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions which contain at least one such copolymer or polyelectrolyte complex and the use of these copolymers and polyelectrolyte complexes are described.
U.S. patent application 2006/0183822 discloses an ampholytic copolymer, polyelectrolyte complexes which comprise such an ampholytic copolymer, and cosmetic or pharmaceutical compositions which comprise at least one ampholytic copolymer or one polyelectrolyte complex.
U.S. patent application 2001/0022967 discloses a hair styling composition comprising: (a) less than about 1.5% active of one or more holding polymers, (b) one or more saccharides, having monomeric units greater than two, and (c) a carrier.
U.S. patent application 2003/0008855 discloses anti-dandruff hair styling composition containing at least one active ingredient for the treatment of dandruff and/or seborrheic dermatitis; at least one thickening agent; and at least one a hair styling resin. In a preferred embodiment, the hair styling composition is in the form of a gel that suspends the active ingredient. The publication also provides a method of treating hair or scalp using the described composition.
U.S. patent application 2006/0134049 on hair styling composition that relates to compositions and methods for treating and modifying hair. More particularly, the application is directed to styling and conditioning compositions for modifying and fixing hair comprising one or more rheology modifiers and one or more hair styling resins and a method of using the compositions to modify, condition and fix hair.
U.S. patent application 2006/0251603 by ISP Investments Inc on mending hair damage with polyelectrolyte complexes teaches about complexed form of anionic and cationic polymers that are used to mend damaged hair fibers, especially damage exhibited by split ends. An improved test method designed for the assessment of the degree of split end repair is described which consists of tagging hair fibers and observing the repair process by stereomicroscopy.
In view of forgoing facts, there remains a desire to develop a homogenously sprayable composition comprising high molecular weight charged polymers, particularly, hair care composition comprising effective use levels of high molecular weight polymers or resins having minimum amount of alcoholic component. Also, it is desired to have a sprayable hair care composition capable of imparting enhanced product aesthetics and performance attributes for the users.